Exhibitor for mailing-receptacles.



J. W. CUTLER.

EXHIBITOR FOR MAILING REGEPTAULES.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 21, 1908.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

2 8HEBTS-SHEET 1.

witnesses unsw B GRAHAM ca, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHERS. wnsnmmuu o. c

J. W. CUTLER. EXHIBITOR FOR MAILING REGEPTAGLES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1908.

954,786, 7 Patented Apr. 12, 1910.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,IIIIIIIII/ moazw a. GRAHAM ca. PHOTO-LITHGGRAPHERS. WASHINGTON. n.0,

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CUTLER MAIL CHUTE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A COR- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

EXHIBITOR FOE MAILING-RECEPTAGLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH WARREN CUT- LER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhibitors for h/Iailing-Receptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference characters marked thereon.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for exhibiting the operation of mailing receptacles in which a chute isemployed having a transparent panel, and it has for an object repeatedly to move devices representing mail matter through the chute so as to illustrate the operation of the mailing receptacles.

To this and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts allas will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front View of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side View of the same apparatus; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the apparatus in the plane of the mailing box; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sections on lines 4 4:, 55 and 66 of Fig. 1, respectively.

Referring more particularly to the drawings A indicates a section of a mail chute connecting two floors, the chute having a transparent wall 1 and being preferably secured to the front wall 2 of a box like structure which is decorated to simulate a wall of a building. This chute section preferably opens into the box frame near its upper and its lower end and above and below the transparent wall or panel 1 in order that a suitable carrier may efiect the downward travel of the mail representing devices 3 so that they will be visible through the transparent wall, and may carry said devices upwardly in rear of the chute and within the box structure, in order that their return will not be seen by one watching the operation of the apparatus. The carrier in the present instance is in the form of an endless belt 4, one lap of which may travel Within Specification of Letters Patent.

App1ication filed December 21, 1908.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910. Serial No. 468,563.

the chute-section A and the other of which may operate in rear of the wall 2 and within the box structure. This belt may travel about two pulleys 5 and 6 arranged respectively on shafts 7 and 8 journaled within.

the box, one near the top of the chute and the other near the bottom; and the width of the belt preferably is greater than that of the transparent panel 1 so that the belt extends beyond both edges of the panel and in this manner its edges are not visible through the transparent wall and it appears to be the rear wall of the chute even when in motion.

The mail representing devices 3 may be either in the form of paintings on the belt or in the form of envelops suitably addressed and stamped and secured to the belt. Of course they should be variously and irregularly arranged in order to give the appearance of falling mail matter.

A section B of the mailing receptacle representing that portion which is lowermost in a building may be arranged at one side of section A so that the operation of the entire mailing receptacle may be seen at one time. This section has a mail chute portion with a transparent panel 9 and a box portion 10, the chute portion being preferably arranged within a recess 11 in the wall 2. This illustrates another arrangement of the mail chute and at the same time it permits a carrier to operate therein as the box does not extend to the floor line as in section A and the carrier would otherwise be exposed to view below the box. This section also communicates by openings 18 and 19 at its upper and lower ends with the box structure so that the endless carrier and the mail representing devices may pass to and from the mailing receptacle. A guide plate 17 may be arranged at the bottom of the mail box to prevent the mail representing devices being caught on the bottom of the mail box.

The carrier for the mail representing devices 3 of sections B is in the form of a belt 12 having a lap operating within the chute portion and the mail box portion 10 and being driven preferably by pulleys 13 and 14 arranged respectively on the shafts 7 and 8 before mentioned. Any suitable means may be employed for driving the belts 4. and 12 but it is preferred to employ an electric motor 15 arranged Within the box structure and having a driving connection such as belt 16 with the shaft 8.

An apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention effectively illustrates the operation of mail receiving receptacles. as the mail representing devices travel in such a manner that ordinary observers are deceived as to the operation and assume that the mail representing devices are falling Within the chute.

I claim as my invention:

1. An exhibition mailing receptacle comprising a chute having a transparent panel, a carrier movable Within the chute toward the lower end thereof and throughout the length of the transparent panel and having devices representing mail matter promiscuously distributed thereover, and means for moving the carrier at such a rate of speed that the devices appear to be falling Within the chute.

2. An exhibition mailing receptacle comprising a chute having a transparent panel, a flat belt extending beyond both edges of the transparent panel, operable Within the chute toward the bottom thereof and throughout the length of the panel and having devices representing mail matter promiscuously distributed thereover, and means for securing said devices to the belt said means being invisible through the panel.

JOSEPH XVARREN CUTLER.

lVitnesses J. H. GILMORE, Jr, J. R. HANNA. 

